Not literally, obviously, but a situation where you didn't realize that you got lucky until much later. Could be an interesting thread, let's see if it works.

My story concerns a girl I knew back in uni, who was damn good looking, but slightly unstable (which is of course what attracted me at the time). We were getting friendly for a couple of weeks until she changed classes and we only ran into each other every once in a while for the next year or two. The attraction was always there, but it seemed to never be the right time. I always regretted not taking it further, obviously, but something in my subconscious told me not to.

Well, the other day I ran into her again in the tram and she was six months pregnant, so obviously not in the best of shape, hormones raging, acne, etc. I congratulated her and asked who the lucky guy was. Her answer was basically a guy she ran into, didn't know that well, etc. In any case, she said she wanted to have a baby at that time and it didn't much matter who the father was.

"Didn't matter who the father was" kept on ringing in my head until a few minutes later I reailzed while walking down the street, "Hooooly crap, that could have been me."

Talk about dodging a bullet.

Are you sure you dodged it?

Unknowingly, I guess.

To keep the metaphor going, let's say I slipped and fell just as the bullet was about to get me.

Earlier this year my wife resigned from The Royal Bank of Scotland (Investment Banking div) to take up her new role in Switzerland. Not only did she leave RBS, but she left banking altogether.

Talk about a lucky escape

Back in June 2005 we started our first leg of our holiday to Canada, flying over from Zurich, and travelled through London via the tube after overnighting at a friend's place to catch an early flight out of Heathrow.

By some coincidence I had fouled up the original booking by a week so we ended up going a week early.

Had we travelled as we had planned and gone a week later we would have been on the tube system on the morning of 7th July...

Maybe, I didn't manage to dodge all the ''methaphoric bullets'' completely, but one of the most important dire straits that I manage to get out from was my previous work place. Few months latter I found out that the other workmates followed same instinct as mine and kept on leaving that deteriorating place as well.

Just now, i think, by "Groaning" at "Longbyte". on a previous post.

What makes you think you dodged it? It might be a long range, large-bore projectile or an ICBM hurtling, out of control towards you...

Thanks for putting that blip back on our radar, we lost you for a second.

Could someone explain to me the expression "dodging a bullet" please.
I'm not sure I understand the meaning of it ... thank you !!

It means that you nearly got hit by a bullet , but was missed (something bad could of happened to you, but it didn`t)

It's a figure of speech; a near miss in any situation where you might have been killed, hit by a custard pie, found you may be pregnant, anything.

Ok I got it !! Thanks to both of you !!

''You cannot easily dodge the bullet unless an enemy shoots the blanks''

Bullet - means here all type of mishaps
Shoot the blanks - from the movie ''Little Man''

I think this is the perfect thread for those gifted storytellers, where are they now

Shooting blanks just reminded me about something... Have you seen that one ''Little Man'' starring Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington,?



(It is a very funny comedy... at some point father in law accuses the son-in law that he cannot make his daughter pregnant just because he shoots the...)

Once upon a time.......... oh i give up sorry

Many moons ago after a very stormy relationship had seemed to calm down a little I decided it was time I popped the question. All of my friends were vehemently against it and were trying to get me to change my mind (they knew what she was like), but I was a stubborn little sod.

Driving back to my office in Soho one afternoon, I was stuck at traffic lights on Regent Street when I saw the "lucky" girl, hand in hand with a guy (married) who she worked with!

I wound down the window and called out her name. When she looked round, I just waved, and shouted "Bye!"

That was one vicious bullet I just missed

I haven't dodged any bullets, they came out of the blue and hit me. Apparently I am wearing a bullet proof jacket !!!

Even blanks can cause injuries, so it's better to dodge them. In fact the only bullet one should not dodge is the silver one...

...unless you happen to be a werewolf.